Illustrations by by the amazing BOE @boestudios.s
I have taken on a new role as Research Lead for the Friends of the Joiners Arms, a Community Interest Company set to open the UK’s first community-run LGBTIQ+ venue this year.
I’m responsible for the JOIN Project, funded by the City Bridge Foundation, and working with LGBTIQ+ people in London who are facing insecure housing and/ or precarious immigration status. It is a fantastic opportunity to help build community networks, solidarity and power, working with brilliant partners including The Outside Project and African Rainbow Family
We’re using creative workshops to examine both barriers and accessible routes to supportive volunteer, job and training opportunities for people often excluded from LGBTIQ+ spaces. A key priority has been that participants with lived experience receive financial compensation and have opportunities for developing new skills – so, we’re putting aims into practice from the outset.
We’re aiming to publish guides and resources as well as a film or podcast series by the end of the summer. These will help deepen understanding of how the UK benefits system and its immigration policies compound experiences of exclusion for people already marginalised due to racism, xenophobia, homophobia and ever-increasing costs of living. Our aim with this work is to shape policy, social service provision and business practices, with positive impact across a range for all people facing insecure housing and immigration status.
Siobhán McGuirk 